The present invention relates to a ceramic structure, and more particularly, to a ceramic structure which can be adapted for use as a particulate trapper (i.e. trap), a catalyst support for cleaning exhaust gases, or the like incorporated in a diesel engine.
For example, a conventional trapper for trapping particulates (particulate carbon) emitted by a diesel engine was disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 161962/1983.
This conventional type of trapper is constituted by porous ceramics having a three-dimensional network structure and wherein inlet ports and outlet ports are separated by a partition. An exhaust gas passes from the inlet ports through the partition to the outlet ports, and while the gas is passing through the partition, the particulates contained in the exhaust gas are trapped by the partition.
A reinforced ceramic layer has heretofore been integrally formed on the outer periphery of such a ceramic structure.
Such a conventional type of ceramic structure involves disadvantage in that the thermal shock resistance is inferior and the reinforced layer is apt to suffer from cracking.